


Remember to Forget

by TiffanyF



Series: Tails of the Cattons [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Torchwood
Genre: AU, M/M, ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-28
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2017-11-27 06:03:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/658745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyF/pseuds/TiffanyF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack takes Gwen to task over her taking Retcon from work for personal use, there's a fight and when Jack goes walking to calm down, he find something he never thought he would see again. Crossover with my piece "Tail of the Cattons."<br/>The only things I own are Madame Draciana and the Cattons themselves. Nothing else is mine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jack knew how to con. He knew how to survive. He would be damned if he could figure out how to be a good boss. Tosh kept telling him there were rules, but he couldn't find anything. He always slipped back into combat mode when threatened, and flirt mode the rest of the time. It was possible that was the reason his team felt like it was crumbling around him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Jack knew that he could call each one into his office, sit them down and ask what was wrong, and every one of them would lie to him. They might not mean to do it, but they would. He could already hear their voices echoing in his empty office and shook his head. Talking to them wasn't the right thing to do. The problem with taking the best, no matter what their personal issues were, meant that when things went wrong, they went very wrong, very fast. Jack knew the basics of the problems, but just didn't know how to fix them.

"Do you have a moment, sir?"

"Ianto, what's wrong?" Jack asked sitting forward in his chair. It was rare for the younger man to seek him out during work unless he had coffee, food or paperwork for Jack to sign.

"I've just been going over our inventory for the end of the month, I wanted to get it done early just in case the rift decides to give us problems like it did last month," Ianto replied. "We're missing retcon, sir."

Jack blinked a few times. "Ianto, I would swear you just told me we're missing retcon," he said, head tilted to the side slightly.

"We are, sir. I counted the doses three times yesterday and twice today, in case I had made a mistake," Ianto started.

"Come on, Ianto, I've never seen you make a mistake when it comes to supply or inventory," Jack interrupted. "I also know you've already checked the CCTV to see who's been taking it, so just tell me so we can get it back."

"It was Gwen," Ianto said. "But I fear it's too late to get it back, sir. She's already used it."

"Damn it," Jack exclaimed, falling back in his chair. "How do you know she's used it already?"

"Sir, why do you think she was here last night while we were out chasing after the people who were kidnapping weevils?" Ianto asked. He shifted his weight slightly, finding a more comfortable position to stand in. "I took a look through the footage from that time and found that she came back well before she made contact with us. She brought pizza and was crying. That meant something happened at home and, when I checked the small camera you asked me to place in their living room..."

"I asked for the bedroom, Ianto," Jack interrupted.

"In the living room, sir," Ianto continued, "I found that Rhys was unconscious on the sofa and there were two glasses on the coffee table. A closer look showed there was slight residue in one of them and, when I retrieved it, proved to be retcon."

"Ianto, how do you find the time to do all of this?" Jack asked. "You don't have some sort of time travel device you're not telling me about, do you?"

"No sir," Ianto said. "I don't keep secrets from you, sir. Not anymore. While the rest of you were fussing over Owen, I ran over to Gwen's house and took care of the situation for you."

Jack sighed. "I've told you before, Ianto, you're not the butler around here."

"I do clean up after you though, sir," Ianto smiled. His gaze flicked to the desk for a second and then back up to Jack's face. "What do you want me to do about the missing retcon, sir?"

"Aw hell, send Gwen in here and let me see if I can get some answers out of her," Jack sighed. "Don't think I didn't see that little shift in your focus, Ianto. You know I'm game for whatever you want to try out."

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Ianto smiled. "However, once everyone is gone for the evening, we might be able to discuss things again. I'll find Gwen for you, sir."

"Coffee too, please? I think I'm going to need some to get through this. Oh, and call the hospital. See how Owen's doing."

"He's ready to be released, sir. Would you like me to pick him up?"

"No, I'll go once I've talked with Gwen," Jack said. "Thanks, Ianto. Things probably would fall apart around here without you."

Ianto smiled, smirked, and left the office. Jack moved forward so his lower half was more under the desk, cursing softly under his breath. Ianto knew what that smile did to him, and knew the other man had done it on purpose. Along with the extra butler routine. Letting Ianto know how hot Jack found him in full butler mode was probably a mistake.

"Jack, you wanted to see me?"

"Have a seat, Gwen, and tell me about last night," Jack said. "Like why you were back here when I told you to go home and spend time with your boyfriend.?

"Rhys was out for a stag do with some friends, I was lonely so I came back here," Gwen said. "It's a good thing I did too, otherwise we wouldn't have found Owen in time."

"So if I were to call Rhys up and ask him about last night, what would he tell me, Gwen?" Jack asked. 

"I'm not sure, he was passed out when I went home to change," Gwen replied. "He drinks a lot when he's out with his friends, he does."

Jack nodded thoughtfully. "Adding scotch on top of beer isn't the brightest idea either," he said, watching Gwen closely. "Especially when you haven't watched the drink be made. It's hard enough to trust people, it's such a shame when someone you've already learned to trust betrays you."

"Jack, I don't know what you're talking about," Gwen said.

"Did you know that we keep a tight inventory of our retcon, Gwen?" Jack asked. "It's something I asked Ianto to do after I found out how badly Suzie was abusing my trust in her. Ianto checks it weekly and does a monthly inventory. With his memory, he doesn't need to write everything down all the time, you know. Imagine my shock when he told me we're missing doses."

"Jack...."

"Don't, Gwen. I thought you'd know better, after what happened with Suzie. Ianto checked the cameras and saw what you were doing. He found the glass at your flat with the residue in it," Jack said. 

"He broke into my flat?" Gwen demanded.

"It's hardly breaking when you leave the door unlocked when you leave," Ianto commented, coming into the room with a mug of coffee for Jack. "I made sure to lock it behind me, Gwen. I wouldn't want anyone stealing any of your things."

"Thanks, Ianto," Jack said, taking the coffee. "Ianto, how many doses are missing?"

"Five, sir," Ianto replied. "I've added a padlock to the cabinet with a secure lock on it."

"Good work, Ianto. Thank you."

"Sir." Ianto left, shutting the door behind him. 

"I don't believe this," Gwen said, turning back to Jack. "You sent him to break into my flat?"

"No, I didn't. I told you the first day you met everyone, Ianto cleans up after us," Jack said. "He takes care of everything. I think you'll find that Rhys spent most of the night in bed rather than where you left him. You already know he's not going to remember what happened to him last night, but I want to know exactly how much you gave him, Gwen. Retcon is not a toy. It's a drug and it's dangerous."

"A single dose, no more than you gave me that night," Gwen replied. "He's lost 24-hours, no more. He went under so fast, Jack."

"What would you have done if he'd had some sort of reaction to it?" Jack asked. "How would you have explained his symptoms to the rescue squad? We wouldn't have been able to help you, we were all out in the field trying to solve a case. Where's the rest of it, Gwen?"

"In my bag," Gwen said. "I wasn't going to use them, Jack. I just wanted to have them with me in case of an emergency."

"An emergency like your boyfriend finding out about your affair with Owen?" Jack asked.

"How'd you know about that?"

"I'm not blind, Gwen," Jack replied. "I can see what's happening in front of me, even if people think they're hiding it. Most of the time. There have been a couple of times when I've been taken by surprise, but I've learned from them. Compared to that, you're easier to read than a primary school book."

"Like you're not?" Gwen demanded. "You think you know everything, Jack, but you don't. You don't know what it's like to try and hide something like this from someone you love. What else am I supposed to do?"

Jack leaned back and studied the woman across from him closely. "Are you talking about hiding the job or hiding the affair?" he asked. 

"How dare you?"

"I dare because you put an innocent at risk to get rid of your own guilt," Jack interrupted. "Doses on my desk, Gwen, before you leave today. We're not here to help you cheat on your boyfriend. You can't have it both ways, Gwen. You either come clean to Rhys when he'll remember that you've been cheating on him or break it off with Owen. If I find out you've dosed anyone with Retcon for any reason other than a direct link to a case, I'll dose you and dump you back into real life."

"That's your answer for everything, isn't it, Jack? Running away and hiding," Gwen said. "Never having to face up to the mistakes you made."

Jack's face went hard and cold and Gwen, who had just stood up, stepped back in fear. "Leave, Gwen," Jack said softly. His tone was hard, almost frozen, and Gwen had never once heard him sound like that before. "Put the stolen doses of Retcon on my desk and get out."

"Jack."

"Now!"

The shout echoed out into the Hub. Gwen felt her face burning when the whole team saw her run out of Jack's office towards her work area and her bag. Jack stood up and started towards the door, face dark and frozen.

"Your coat, sir."

"Ianto."

"I'll be here when you get back, Jack," Ianto said softly, as he helped Jack into his coat. "For the record, she's wrong. Go walk, get the anger out of your system, and come back to me. I'll be waiting."  
**********

Ianto watched Gwen leave, followed fairly quickly by Owen and Tosh. He sighed. There were days he wished he was closer to his co-workers than he was, but he knew they didn't really see him. Not for who he was. He was just the tea-boy. The one who hid the monster in the basement. The one who was always there when needed. Jack was the only one who really saw him. Saw his pain and understood it and helped ease it when the nights became too dark. It was one of the reasons Ianto was at his side more than he was anyone else at Torchwood. Jack put on a good front, but Ianto knew what darkness looked like, and he saw it in Jack's eyes far more often than he was comfortable with. The Captain had secrets, everyone had secrets, but Ianto sensed that Jack's were far heavier than those that any human carried.

It wasn't hard to work out that Jack wasn't from their time. He hid it well, most of the time, but Ianto was good with computers, with research, and with reading people. It was something that let him hide in plain sight so well. Jack knew too much about the future, about the past, to have done anything other than lived it. A time traveler. A person from the stories, and Ianto worked with him. There were days Ianto wanted to ask Jack where he was from, see if he could get the older man to open up to him, tell him some small tid-bit that would make him seem more human and less alien. He doubted it would happen. Jack was so silent about himself, and Ianto helped him hide. He smiled softly to himself, wondering what the rest of the team would do if they knew Ianto had hidden records from them. Owen and Tosh were so curious about Jack, tried to figure out who he was and what he was, and Ianto was the one who blocked them at every turn. There were days when Ianto thought Jack knew what he was doing, smiles sent his way that seemed to have no meaning behind them, unless it was to tell Ianto that Jack approved of a new suit. 

"Ianto."

"Sir?" Ianto's hand went to the ear-piece he was still wearing.

"Come up to the Plas and join me," Jack said. "I want to show you something. Use the lift."

"Yes sir," Ianto said. He put the bag he was holding down, tying off the ends so it wouldn't spill while he was gone, and went to the lift. He wasn't surprised when it started on it's own, knowing that Jack was up top watching for him. Ianto didn't really like using the lift, he was always a little afraid he was going to fall off, which was the reason he almost always came and went via the tourist office.   
It wasn't hard to spot Jack, standing just off to the side of where the lift was going to be and smiling. "You need me, sir?" Ianto asked as he stepped out into the Plas.

"I'll always need you, Ianto," Jack replied. He took Ianto's hand in his own. "Come on, it's down here."

"Jack, you know that Gwen was out of line tonight, right?" Ianto asked softly, dropping his work facade. "She should never have said those things to you."

"I've done a lot of running in my life, Ianto," Jack said just as softly. "But I've faced up to my mistakes, taken actions that have save millions of lives, and no one can know about that. Ever.Just pieces of the past floating behind me, things that only I know and remember."

Ianto squeezed his hand. "You aren't planning to try and get me to go swimming again, are you?" he asked. "It's too cold."

"No, down here," Jack said. He pulled Ianto down a set of steps and into a tunnel that Ianto normally wouldn't have dared in his good shoes, but with Jack to hold onto, he figured he would be okay. If nothing else, shower sex with Jack was steamier than the water most days.

"What are they?" Ianto asked, looking into what had to be a nest.

"Cattons," Jack replied with a soft smile. "They must have slipped through the rift, they shouldn't be here. Will you help me get them down to the Hub?"

"How do you know about them?"

"I'll explain when we're back in the Hub," Jack said. He picked up one of the tiny kittens, kittens with wings and some sort of beading around their paws and neck, and tucked it carefully into the place made in his coat. "We're going to need bottles, milk, sugar and fish oil, Ianto. Here, tuck the others in with this one."

Ianto was half expecting the small creatures to feel cold, but their fur was soft and warm under his hands. "Five of them, Jack," he said. "Where's their mum?"

"Dead," Jack said. "I saw her fall when I was out walking and started looking around for a nest. I do know someone who can come and collect them, but I don't know how long it will take her to get here."

"Jack."

"Run to the shops for me, Ianto? Please?"

"Okay," Ianto ran his hand through his hair. "You get in touch with your friend. I don't want Myfanwy eating them."

"She won't. I'll keep them down in my bunker," Jack said. He kissed Ianto gently. "This is a miracle, Ianto. You'll see what I mean when we get back to the Hub."

"Yes sir," Ianto sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

Ianto was good at finding things. He was good at everything he did, but there were somethings that he shone at. Jack would probably argue that coffee was one of them, finding things was another. Ianto went though the shops and had everything in a basket working on auto-pilot until he got to the dairy section. Cows milk wasn't good for cats, but what they had back at the Hub weren't cats. He sighed and activated his ear-piece. "Jack?"

"What's up?"

"What sort of milk do we need? Cows milk could make them sick. Do you want me to get kitten formula?"

"I didn't think of that," Jack said. "I don't know what sort of milk they use in cases like this, and there's no quick way to ask. Get condensed milk and kitten formula for now. I don't know what else we can do."

"Do we need anything else for tonight?" Ianto asked, turning back towards the canned goods and pet aisles.

"I was thinking we could get pizza for dinner, so if you want any sort of beer with it, get that," Jack replied. "I've got some sweets stashed down here."

"Hopefully not chocolate sauce again," Ianto said. "That was fun, Jack, but it stained the sheets."

"Ianto, not everything in life is about laundry," Jack sighed. "Where are you now?"

"Just heading for the checkout lanes, sir," Ianto said with a small smile. "I should be back in about ten minutes."

"Okay, I've called the others and told them not to come in until late tomorrow. I'm hoping my contacts will be here in the morning," Jack said. "Hurry back, I can't contact them until you're here to watch these guys."

"You're down in your bunker, yes?"

"Yeah, but you'll understand when you get here."

Ianto bit back a sigh. So many secrets with Jack. One day, he hoped to have the man's trust to be able to know the answers to them all. "I'll see you soon, sir," he said.  
**********

The Hub was in what Ianto thought of as stand-by mode, lights dim, but not dangerously dark, when he got back. He didn't even bother with pretending he was there for another reason, just went straight to Jack's office and over to the hole that led to the bunker. "Jack."

"Hey, need me to take anything?" Jack asked, coming into view.

"Yeah, here." Ianto handed down the shopping and followed it quickly. "Jack, where are the kittens?"

Jack grinned. "This is why I couldn't leave them alone down here," he said. He took Ianto's hand. "Unless you're somehow linked to the clans or the Cattons themselves, you can't see them. Contact with me will let you see them for a little while though."

Ianto looked around and caught sight of the tiny forms on Jack's bed. "You're going to explain all of this, Captain," he said sternly.

"I will," Jack said softly. "I will, but I need to get word to Draciana and Severus as soon as possible. I'll be right back. Can you mix up half a teaspoon of sugar for each two fish oil pills, please? I'll handle the milk and anything else when I'm back."

"Where are you going?" Ianto asked.

"To find an owl," Jack replied, and was up the ladder before Ianto could think of any way to reply to that.  
**********

Jack dug out some of the parchment he kept hidden in his office and scribbled a short note on it, directions to find him, and rolled it up before sealing it with wax. He stood up and swore. There was no Retcon on his desk. "Ianto," he called. "Did you pick up any doses of Retcon off my desk?"

"No sir, I didn't," Ianto replied from down in the bunker. "Jack, they're getting fussy. How much milk should I use?"

"Use the kitten formula and follow the directions on it," Jack said. "When it's on the heat, add in the sugar and fish oil along with a tablespoon of the condensed milk. I'll be back as fast as I can."

"Going to find an owl then?"

"Yep."

Jack used the stairs and went out through the tourist office because it was faster and out into the night. He had a setting on his vortex manipulator that would call the right sort of owl to him, if there was one around. He hoped there was, because he didn't have a fire place handy, and really didn't want to have to explain that to Ianto. It was bad enough that he was going to have to let Ianto know there was another world living right beside theirs, one that was hidden far better than Torchwood was. He hoped he didn't have to explain everything about it.

"Hey there," he said when a large brown owl landed on his shoulder. "You must have been close by. Can you take this message to Hogwarts for me? Madame Draciana. If you can't find her, Professor Severus Snape." He tied the note to the owls leg and held out a treat. "Thank you."

The owl hooted softly and took off into the night, flying north away from Jack. He grinned and headed back inside. Having a mail owl that close was unusual, and he didn't know of any wizarding families that lived in Cardiff, but then again, he might have missed them. Jack knew what to look for, but they were very good at hiding most days. He locked the door behind him and went back down to his bunker, pausing just long enough to order dinner. It was an indication of how nervous Ianto was, that he hadn't done it already.

"How do we feed them?" Ianto asked, looking up from pouring the mixture into the small animal bottles he'd bought.

"Carefully," Jack replied. He'd left his coat in his office, so all he had to take off was his boots before sitting on the bed. "They shouldn't be here, Ianto. They've all but died out in the world, except up in Scotland. My friends up there have several breeding pairs with them. I can't tell for sure, but I think these are all girls."

"Won't their dad be looking for them?" Ianto asked. He handed Jack two of the bottles and sat down at the other end of the bed.

"Males are rare," Jack said. "Very, very rare. I've only seen one, and he lives with my friends." He picked up the green kitten and rubbed her head. "These guys are young, maybe even newborns, but no more than a week old." Jack positioned the kitten upright in his hand, her back against his palm, steadied her head and got the bottle into place. "There we go, just like that now. That's good. Like this, Ianto. Make sure you have them supported. Their bones aren't hollow like birds and dragons, but they are more fragile than a mammals."

"What are they, Jack?" Ianto asked. He got the matching green kitten into position and watched as she started nursing. "How do you know about them?"

"They're called Cattons," Jack said. "Combination of cat and dragon. The dragon clans down in Europe, as far as Dracie has been able to tell anyway, crossbred dragons and cats right about the same time that the first Guardians were born so the new species could grow together."

"Guardians?"

"Guardians of Light, to give them their full title. I only know Dracie and her twin brother, the rest are all down in Europe hiding. They're humans who can shift into the form of a dragon with help from these guys," Jack said. "Here, you have to burp them, just like you do human babies. Like this, gently." Jack started to rub the Catton's back just between her shoulder blades. "No one, not even Dracie, knows much more about their history. To find them here, alone, with their mother dead. They shouldn't be here, Ianto."

"So, dragons are real," Ianto said. He wasn't sure if the one he'd been feeding had burped or not, but settled her down next to her twin and picked up the sort of blue one. "And there are humans who have interbred with them and can take on their form?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Jack was trying to get a pale pink Catton settled. "Oh, you miss your momma, don't you, precious?" he asked softly. With a sad smile, he leaned back and settled her against his heart, hand holding her carefully. "There you go, is that better? Yeah, I thought so. Eat, and then you can sleep. I won't leave you, not until you have someone who can help you out."

"You're friends with two of these dragon crosses?" Ianto asked.

"Guardians. They're twins, very, very powerful, and would have made me forget everything about them and their world, if the potions hadn't taken," Jack grinned. 

"They use Retcon then?"

"No, they're wizards, so they use potions," Jack said. "Brewed in cauldrons, just like in all the books. For some reason the potions that they gave me never took, so they swore me to secrecy and told me how to get in touch if I ever needed them."

Ianto nodded and looked down at the Cattons on Jack's bed. "What's with their coloring and the beading?" he asked.

"Those are gem stones," Jack said. "It's not beading. The stones match their color, but I don't know anything else about it. Dracie told me the basics, but because I'm not a Guardian, I couldn't be told everything. I just know how to keep them alive until she can get to me."

"So if only you and Guardians can see them, what killed their mom then?"

"I didn't see, but it's possible there are creatures out there who can see them," Jack said. "Can you feed the last one? I don't want to move this one. She's really fussy for some reason."

"Maybe she fancies you," Ianto smiled. "I know I do. There's something very sexy about a man lying in his bed with a pale pink winged kitten on his chest."

Jack smiled. "Wish I'd known that sooner, I could have done something about it," he said. "My message should get to Dracie, or her brother, by morning. The owl had a ways to go, but he was strong and I don't think he should need more than two rest breaks to get to their place."

"You sent them a message by owl?" Ianto asked. He put the blue Catton down in the small pile and picked up the last, a sort of orangey red color. "They don't have a phone?"

"Nope, none of them work there. Too much magic in the air or something," Jack said. "Ianto, I know you have to have a ton of questions for me, but can we shelve them until Dracie gets here tomorrow? Please? We need to talk about what we're going to do about Gwen."

"She disobeyed you, sir," Ianto said. "It seems to me you have several options as her boss. You can discipline her. Properly, not with a paddle and gag."

"Spoilsport."

"I try my best. Though I wouldn't be adverse to trying that myself, one of these days," Ianto smiled. "You can suspend her for upwards of two weeks, with or without pay as you see fit, or you can fire and Retcon her."

"I really don't want to lose her as a member of the team, not yet, anyway," Jack said. "Oh, hey, let me have her and you run up to the office. Our pizza should be here soon."

Ianto carefully handed the Catton he was feeding over to Jack. "What would you like to drink with dinner tonight, sir?"

"You keep that up, we won't do much of anything other than..."

"Save it, Jack," Ianto broke in. "I'll grab you some water on my way back down."

"Spoilsport," Jack muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

"Never thought this would happen," Jack sighed when Ianto was back with their dinner.

"What's that?"

"Me having you in bed and talking about Gwen."

Ianto shuddered. "With respect, sir, I'd rather not even think of such things," he said. He passed Jack's pizza over to him and pulled a chair over next to the bed. "Do you need another pillow for your back?"

"I'm fine for now," Jack said. "This little one fusses if I try to move her. Man, it's been a long time since I've had to do anything one-handed like this."

"You're quite skilled at doing some things one-handed," Ianto smiled. "Is there anything else we need to do to make them comfortable until your friends get here?"

"They'll need to be fed again, and helped with elimination and grooming, but I can do that," Jack said. He took a bite of his pizza. "What do you think I should do about Gwen?"

"What I think we should do hardly matters, does it, sir?" Ianto asked.

"Hey, none of that sir stuff down here unless I'm wearing leather, Ianto," Jack said. "I'm serious. You're the level-headed one and probably know more about what's been going on in the Hub than I do. I don't want to do something that's going to endanger the team, the rift, or the Earth."

"The problem with being human is letting emotions guide you all the time," Ianto said. "Which we're all guilty of, of course, but it seems to me that Gwen takes it much farther than the rest of us do most of the time. You haven't had to dodge a coffee mug when she's upset about something."

"She threw a mug at you?" Jack demanded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was able to dodge it and Owen took over, took her out for a bit, and she was much calmer when they came back," Ianto said. "I think firm discipline is the answer you're looking for, Jack. You're right that we don't want the team short, and it's not like we can just advertise for someone new."

Jack grinned. "That would be quite the advert, wouldn't it? It makes you wonder what sort of people would turn up to interview," he said. "Seriously though, she disobeyed me again before she left, unless one of the others dared to come into my office and take the Retcon that was on my desk."

"They didn't, Jack. I was in full view of your office until everyone left for the evening. No one went in there," Ianto said. He glanced down at the bed. "Jack, how long would contact with you allow me to see the Cattons?"

"I don't know. Can you still see them?"

"Yeah, I can." Ianto smiled softly. "I've never been much of a cat person, but these little ones are so remarkable. You would think that knowing there are aliens and other worlds would be enough for me, but to find out there's more here on Earth than I knew about. It's fantastic."

"Yeah, it is," Jack agreed, trying to hide the wince at Ianto's choice of words. It had been a long time since he'd last seen his Doctor, and the Time Lord's favorite happy word was fantastic. Parts of Jack still yearned for that, for his Doctor. "I can't wait for you to meet Dracie and her brother. Oh, don't let anything Severus says to you get you down. He's a really, really black-humored guy and seems to live to take all the humor out of life."

"Sounds a bit like Owen then," Ianto said. "I'm looking forward to meeting them. Do you really think that they'll be here by tomorrow?"

"I hope so, because we can't leave these guys alone, and I don't want to have to wear a sling or something to keep them warm and safe." Jack ran a finger down the pink Catton's back, his hand larger than she was. "I'll do it, I'd do anything for them, but it would look weird to the rest of the team."

"We can't exactly tell them to stay home until your friends come either, can we?" Ianto shifted onto the bed and leaned against Jack. "I think I see why she's so happy there, you're warm, Jack."

"I always am," Jack grinned. He rested his head against Ianto's. "You gonna spend the night?"

"Of course I am, you're going to need help with them. I know you don't sleep much, but you need to get what sleep you can. We can take shifts feeding them if we have to."

Jack smiled softly, his grin melting into something far fonder. "Thanks, Ianto," he said softly. "I promise I'll answer more of your questions tomorrow. I'm just not sure what all I can tell you."

"As long as you keep them away from my coffee, I'll be happy," Ianto said. "I don't like the idea of forgetting these babies."

"I'll make sure of it," Jack said. "Come on, we can make some preparations before we go to sleep."


	4. Chapter 4

Jack sat on his bed, four of the baby Cattons curled up on a towel in his lap asleep. Ianto was next to him, also asleep, but the pale pink Catton fussed any time Jack tried to move her down off his chest, so he just gave in and left her there. It meant that Ianto couldn't use him as a pillow, but his lover had a hand resting on his side. It seemed like they always spent more time touching when they were in bed, or just in private, than they did when they were fully awake. Jack knew part of it was from the traumas in both their pasts, but he liked to think that a large part of it was how they felt about each other.

He didn't know what could have hurt the momma Catton badly enough to kill her, and felt bad that he hadn't tried to get her body out of the water, but as Ianto was so fond of pointing out, the water was cold and not really made for swimming. Jack would have been able to do it, but dying like that really was not pleasant. He hoped that Dracie would be able to do something, because he hated the idea of something so beautiful and magical being at the bottom of the bay.

Ianto shifted against him, muttering softly, and went still again. Jack smiled fondly. He didn't know what he would do without the younger man. He also knew he should tell Ianto that, tell him how much he meant to him, but didn't know how. Jack had felt this way four times in his life, and ever time he'd had trouble with the words. He'd always let his actions speak for him, but didn't want to with Ianto. He needed to figure out a way to tell the other man that he loved him. It had been so long since Jack dared to let himself feel deep, lasting love with anyone, but Ianto knew so many truths about him, that Jack knew he could be himself and wouldn't risk losing Ianto over the Doctor, his immortal state, or his stubborn nature. 

"Mph, Jack, what time is it?" Ianto asked, blinking.

"Seven," Jack replied. 

"Do they need to be fed again?"

"They're fine, Ianto, go back to sleep," Jack said.

"Thought I heard something up in the hub," Ianto said. "Do you want me to go check?"

"I'll do it," Jack said. He hadn't heard anything, but there were times when it seemed like Ianto was more in tune with the hub than he was. He kissed the little Catton on the head. "I need you to stay quiet here with Ianto, little one. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Ianto took the pale pink Catton and settled her right over his heart, making sure the others were safe on his stomach. "I'll keep them warm, Jack," he said.

"I know you will." Jack kissed Ianto softly and started up the ladder. He paused, just before his head poked through the hole, and listened. There was noise out in the main section of the hub. It sounded like someone working with a crowbar. Jack was just about to sneak out of his office and catch whoever it was when he heard two pops and grinned. Things were about to get really interesting.

"Who the hell?" Gwen's voice rang out across the hub, only slightly obscured by a clang. "How did you get in here?"

"We were invited," a soft voice replied. "Sev, if you would be so kind?"

"Expelliarmus," an almost matching male voice replied. Jack grinned, picturing Gwen's gun flying across the hub, and stepped out of his office.

"Severus, Draciana, how nice to see you both," he said. He caught Gwen's gun and put it down on the table next to him. "Sorry about that, I told my team to take the morning off, but as you can see, we're having a few disciplinary issues at the moment."

Draciana smiled, her silver eyes almost sparkling. She'd picked up his game perfectly, as she had the last time they'd seen each other. "My dear Captain, far be it from us to try and tell you how to run your Torchwood," she said. "I see the spells you asked us to put in place are still strong."

"Of course they are, you cast them," Jack said. "Excuse me for one moment, please. I'll handle this and be right with you. Severus, I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

"Dangerous?" Severus asked.

"No, but Ianto's very particular about who goes near it and you really don't want to get on his bad side," Jack replied. He turned towards Gwen. "All right, do you want to tell me what you're doing here with a crowbar so early in the morning?"

"Who are they?" Gwen demanded.

"Not the answer I wanted, Gwen," Jack said. He stepped forward a little more. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I had a project I needed to check on," Gwen said.

"And it just happens to be in the locked area where we keep the retcon and other dangerous drugs," Jack said. "Not buying it, Gwen, so you'd better come up with a damn good reason you needed to get in there, and don't even think about trying to convince me that it's to return what you stole. You missed that chance yesterday."

Severus stepped up next to him and held out a vial. "Perhaps you need some help, Captain Harkness," he said softly, a slight hiss to his tone.

"I might, Severus, thanks," Jack said, taking the vial. He'd ask what was in it later, and probably give it back, but Gwen didn't need to know that. "Into any liquid, right?"

"Odorless and tasteless, yes," Severus said. He looked over at Gwen. "So hard to find good help these days. So many idiots running about, it makes me long for the days I could remain hidden with my research."

"Jack, who are they and what are they doing here?" Gwen demanded.

"Friends of mine," Jack replied. "Dracie, they're down in my room. If you'd be willing to make sure Gwen leaves, I'll go get them."

Draciana bowed slightly. "It would be my most distinct pleasure, Captain," she said. "Sev?"

"Of course."

Jack left the pair of them, knowing they'd just bind Gwen and float her out of the hub, and he could lock the door when he was back up from his room. He hurried down the ladder and found Ianto had fallen back asleep after all. He kissed his lover and pulled back when he felt lashes fluttering against his cheek. "It was Gwen, doing something," he whispered. "Severus and Dracie are here. Come on, help me get these guys upstairs."

"I almost hate to lose them," Ianto admitted. He waited until Jack had a sling fashioned and started to slip the Cattons into it.

"We can't risk a cat, Myfanwy would eat it," Jack said.

"I know." Ianto followed Jack up the ladder and paused when he caught sight of the twins. The woman, who had to be Draciana, was so pale it was almost as if light bounced off her. She had white hair, silver eyes, pale skin and was dressed in solid white. The male, Severus, was darkness. The only white on him was his skin, which was equally as pale as his sister's. "It's nice to meet you both," he said. "Jack's told me a little about you."

"Severus and Draciana Snape, meet Ianto Jones," Jack said. "Dracie, you can sit down over here. We've been feeding them. Ianto is my lover as well as our keeper around here."

"Pleasure to meet you, Ianto," Draciana said, while Severus just glared. "What do you think of the Cattons?"

"They're amazing," Ianto replied. "I feel like my life is better for having learned about them. Would you and your brother like tea?"

"Please," Draciana said. "Severus, please sit down. You're hovering again."

Jack went to put the pale pink Catton with her siblings when she started fussing again. "She's been doing that since we rescued them, Dracie," he said. "Do you mind?"

"No, if it calms her down, then hold her," Draciana said with a small scowl. "Where is their mother?"

"In the bay, I wasn't able to retrieve her body," Jack said. "Is there a way you can?"

"I'll go," Severus said. He swept out of the room in a swirl of black robes without another word. 

Ianto looked over. "So that was a no for tea then?"

"Go ahead and make him some," Jack said. "He'll drink it later. Dracie, what could have killed their mother? What, exactly am I looking at here? Is it something that could also hurt humans if we don't take care of it?"

"I'll need to see the body to be sure, but there are a few creatures native to the planet that could have hurt her," Draciana said. "Ianto, did one of the Cattons show a preference for you last night?"

"The blue one did seem to want to stay closer to him than the others did," Jack said, when Ianto just shrugged. "What's going on, Dracie?"

"I think, no, I don't think, I know that you and your lover have been chosen by those Cattons," Draciana said.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack blinked a few time. "Dracie, how is that, how could that have happened?" he asked. "You told me they only bond with wizards or witches and they're very picky about who they pick even then. I know I've got no magic in my blood, and I don't think Ianto does, unless he's from a line that carries only."

"Please sit, Jack, you're hovering worse than Sev does," Draciana said with a smile. "Cattons never bond this early. These are infants, a day or two old, no more. Blind, deaf, and mute. Yet they are showing preference for you and your lover. Even with you rescuing them, that should not have happened. Sit, please, Ianto. Our tea can wait a moment. I need to take a look at you."

Ianto sat down on the coffee table and leaned forward. "What do you need?" he asked.

"Just to look," Draciana replied. She reached out and took his chin in her hand, turning his head gently. "You do have a tinge of magic about you, Ianto Jones. Just a hint, no more. Yes, you have wizards in your bloodline, but many generations ago now. It's not enough to awaken something within the Cattons."

"So something is going on," Jack said. "Something these beauties know instinctively and they're taking action to help us."

"Yes," Draciana said. "That is it exactly, Jack. Sev, what killed the mother?"

Severus put a wet bundle of deep purple fur on the ground near his sister. "A shiek hawk," he said. "A creature that should not be this far north."

"Never heard of it," Jack said. "You can finish the tea if you want to, Yan. I can see you're getting antsy about it."

"It's important to be a good host," Ianto said. He went back to his machines and started water boiling for tea. "Severus, Draciana, how do you take your tea?"

"With sugar for me and plain for Sev," Draciana replied. "Thank you, Ianto. Jack, a shiek hawk is a native to the areas where the Guardians and Cattons originated. They're rare enough there, having died out over the years, but we shouldn't be seeing one this far north."

"So we have a bird that shouldn't be here, nestlings who decided to bond to us, and no idea where momma Catton came from," Jack said. "We keep this up, we might as well go to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe for breakfast."

"When did you read those?" Ianto asked.

"When they released," Jack replied. "It's a muggle series, guys, don't worry about it. I'm just being silly. What can we do to help?"

"We need to find out where the mother came from, who the Sire is, and where the shiek hawk is now," Draciana said. "The most important thing for you two to do is keep your new bondlings safe. They'll mature faster than cats do, so you won't have to worry about them for long, but you've got at least a month where they will be very vulnerable to attack."

Ianto handed out the tea and sat down next to Jack. "They can live in his office easily enough, or even down the bunker if need be," he said. "It's Myfanwy I'm worried about."

"Who?" Severus asked.

"Let her out, Ianto," Jack said. "We can protect them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, do it."

Ianto nodded and moved to the keyboard at the far end of Tosh's station. He clicked through a series of keys which was followed by the rumble of the grating on Myfanwy's nest opening. She took to the air with a cry and circled the Hub a few times. Draciana and Severus watched for a long moment and then Draciana smiled. "She won't hurt them."

"How do you know?" Jack asked.

"She's an ancestor to the dragons, to us, and to the Cattons," Draciana replied. She whistled softly, calling Myfanwy over to them. Jack and Ianto watched their sometimes pet, sometimes guard fly over the area and then return to her nest without problems. "She's a smart lady, you don't have to worry about her. Now, I think the best start is for me to take the remaining Cattlings home and get them settled in with a nesting mother I have who is about to wean her latest clutch. Then I'll come back and help Severus search for answers."

"He can wait for you here," Jack said. "In fact, Ianto or I should probably be out with you while you're searching. The police in the area aren't what you would call the most relaxed, and if you have someone from Torchwood with you, then you'll be better off."

"I'll stay here and take care of the babies," Ianto said. "You go out in the field, Jack. You know you're better back-up than I'd be."

"You sure?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, I'm more at home here in the Hub than I am in the field anyway," Ianto said. "I'll have a hot meal waiting for you when you come back."


	6. Chapter 6

"Watch Gwen when the team comes in," Jack said as he grabbed his coat to go out with Severus. "I don't know what she was doing in here this early in the morning, but I don't like it, Ianto. It's possible it's tied in with this mess, but I don't want to stay that it is until we know more."

"I'll be careful, Jack," Ianto said. "I'll feed these two and get them settled for the morning on your bed. I know they'll fuss, but I don't want to risk anyone else hurting them."

Jack nodded. "If I didn't need you up here watching everyone, I'd say lock yourself in and stay with them until I'm back," he said. "Actually, Ianto, why don't you make a nesting box for them that you can put under my desk and reorganize my files?"

"Do they need reorganizing?"

"Probably, but that's not the point. You can lock yourself into my office with the babies until I get back and I won't be as worried when I'm out with Severus. Dracie will be able to join you regardless, don't be surprised when she just literally pops back in," Jack said. "For me, Ianto, please?"

Ianto looked down at the Cattlings. "For them, I'll do it," he said. "They need protection."

"Thank you," Jack said with a smile. He kissed his lover softly. "We'll be back as son as we can, but I don't know what all Severus is going to want to look at, or what he'll need to do. It might be after lunch."

"We'll be fine," Ianto said. "If I finish the files and you're not back, I'll clean your office."

"Remember what I said, keep an eye on Gwen for me," Jack said.

"Are you ready, Jack?" Severus asked from the doorway to the office.

"Yep, lead the way, Severus," Jack replied. "See you soon, Ianto."

"A most remarkable human," Severus said. "Dracie says there is wizard in his bloodline, I wonder which family he's from."

"Dunno, I didn't even know he had magic in his blood," Jack said. He pushed open the tourist office door and headed out into the gray morning. "Although that might explain a little more about how he appears and vanishes so silently around the Hub."

"A silent man, is he?" Severus asked with a smile. "He sounds quite helpful."

"We wouldn't manage without him," Jack said. "Okay, I found the nest down here after I saw the mom fall into the water. I called Ianto up to help me move them and we took them down into the Hub and my bunker. I didn't see anything else unusual, but it was getting dark out."

Severus nodded and looked around. "The shiek hawk prefers hunting at dawn and dusk to be able to hide more readily from its prey," he said. "They are not a large bird, though larger than those known in the muggle world. They evolved with us, and Guardians weren't always as large as we are now when we are in our dragon forms. We've grown in size over time, but are no longer prey for the hawk. The Cattons, however, are. Should the shiek hawk have attacked from above, the mother Catton would have had no warning before she was impaled on the talons."

"She would have been out hunting for her own supper, right?" Jack asked.

"Indeed, which is why her nest was so well hidden," Severus said. "The Sire is the question we need to answer. I know of ten males and none of them are in this area. Dracie, however, will know better than I where there are males. I believe that I should focus on finding the shiek hawk and find out what it is doing in the region."

"Not a migratory bird then?"

"No, if there is one here, it was brought here intentionally," Severus said. "I think, Jack, that we need to be searching for someone fairly new to the area, and that someone has moved here from mainland Europe. This bird is not one that could be picked up while traveling, even for an extended period of time. The only way to tame one is to hatch it and immediately imprint upon it."

Jack nodded and looked around, eyes scanning the sky. "So you don't think someone could have picked up an egg while they were traveling around Europe and brought it back here to hatch?"

"Their nests are inaccessible to anyone, including wizards and Guardians," Severus said. "It's possible that this is a bird from a nesting in a family home, but I won't know until I see it. They are not long-range birds, so we won't have a large area to cover. I think, if I could make use of part of your Hub, that I should be able to mix up a potion to lead us to the bird."

"Really?" Jack asked.

"It's untried and I don't know if it will work, but it is easier than wandering around searching for something we're unsure of," Severus said.

"He always feels better at a cauldron," Draciana said from behind them. "However, it's a good idea. Sev, what ingredients do you need?"

"I'll make a list," Severus said. "How long have you been behind us, dear one?"

"Not long. The other Cattlings are safe in my quarters and being cared for by not only the nesting mother, but a couple of other females. Diamon offered to come help."

"Your male?" Jack asked.

"I told him to stay put. He's too precious to risk with a predator on the loose, but he seems to be upset that these five were orphaned," Draciana said. "I think he may know more than he's telling me right now."

Jack sighed. "One more mystery to add to the list. They're really piling up. Severus, get me the list and I'll hit the shops for you. I'm assuming you have a cauldron with you?"

"Of course," Severus said. "I just need to pop home to get a few things. I won't be long."

"Jack, can you show me the exact spot you were in when you saw the mother fall?" Draciana asked when her brother was gone.

"Sure, it's just down here," Jack said.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the team had arrived by the time Jack returned with Draciana. He led her right to his office and unlocked the door, ignoring the stares from everyone and let Draciana go in first before he shut and locked the door behind them. "Ianto?"

"What did you do to these files, Jack?" Ianto asked, not looking up from the filing cabinet. 

"I've been trying, Yan," Jack replied with a sigh. "I really have, but they get away from me. Dracie has a question for you."

"Draciana, forgive me, I didn't realize you were with Jack," Ianto said, looking up. "How can I help you?"

"Jack says you know everything around here," she said, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Where would you suggest we go to start looking for a magical bird?"

Ianto looked at his lover with a long-suffering expression on his face. "Were I to try and hide something magical or illegal," he said, "I think I'd be in the warehouses down by the docks. However, there are enough isolated houses on the edges of the city that it's literally possible to hide away without detection for months if you're well supplied enough."

"Severus is correct that our bird is a short-range animal," Draciana said. "I would be surprised should the nest be found more than ten miles away in any direction from the site of the attack."

"Which takes out the houses at the edge of the city," Jack said. He glanced out the window and sighed. "When is Owen going to learn to expect the unexpected around this place?"

"What did he do?" Ianto asked.

"Tried to hit Severus with a baseball bat," Jack replied. "Excuse me a minute, Dracie." He unlocked the door and strode out into the office. "Owen, chill out."

"Who the hell is this and where did he come from?" Owen demanded from the wall where he was pinned by magic. "What are you up to now, Jack?"

Jack tried not to laugh. "Sev, if you could let him down, it'd help," he said. "Owen, these are friends of mine here to consult on a case. Now, I approve of you being alert, but no one can get in here without an invitation. I've told you that before."

"He came out of nowhere, Jack," Owen said, rubbing his shoulder. "What the hell did you expect me to do?"

"Trust that I had everything under control," Jack said. "Sev, I think my office is probably the best place for you to work and I have the things you wanted from the shops on my desk. Dracie is already there."

"Thank you, Captain," Severus said and swept off in a swirl of black robes.

"You going to tell us what's going on?" Owen asked.

"Not unless you need to know," Jack replied. "Ianto and I are working this one right now and we don't need the whole team on it. I'll expect you, Gwen and Tosh to take any rift alerts that come in."

"Yeah, fine," Owen grumbled.

"Jack, what if it's a large alert?" Tosh asked from her computer.

"Then let me know and I'll come help you," Jack replied. "I'm hoping this one won't take long and we can get back to normal fairly quickly, but right now I need to focus to help Sev and Dracie out, so you guys need to handle everything else, okay?"

Tosh smiled. "Of course, Jack," she said. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"Actually, hang on a second, there might be," Jack said. He ran back up to his office and leaned in. "Dracie, the shiek hawk, is it a magical creature in the same nature as the Cattons, or would it be able to be seen on a video recording?"

"I'm not sure," Draciana said. "We've never attempted to film one so I do not know."

"It couldn't hurt, Jack," Ianto said, picking up on what Jack was thinking.

"Yeah, might even help," Jack grinned. He moved back to Tosh's workstation. "Okay, so I need you to take a look at the cameras covering the Plass and waterfront last night. Find me, go back ten minutes and watch until Ianto and I come back in via the lift."

"What am I looking for?" Tosh asked.

"A bird," Jack replied. "It would be out over the water, but it's possible it came from the city. It's a type of hawk, that's the best I can give you right now. It's possible you might not even be able to see it."

Tosh glanced back at him. "Are we dealing with magic now?" she asked softly.

"Yep," Jack replied with a grin. "Let me know if you find anything."


	8. Chapter 8

"Jack, I think I might have found something," Tosh said about an hour later, leaning in the door to the office. "I'm not sure, but you guys probably should come and have a look at it."

"I'll come and look," Draciana said with a smile. "Sev can't leave right now and the others don't know what we're looking for exactly."

Tosh looked over at Jack, who nodded. "It's fine, Tosh, thanks," he said with a grin. "Dracie's the one in charge of this, I'm just here to help her out."

"Oh, okay then," Tosh said. She went back to her work area and pulled up the video she'd been looking at. "It's not the best picture, but if you watch here along the top of the water, you'll see a bird come flying into the picture and up to one of the buildings."

Draciana watched the video footage and nodded. "That's our bird all right," she said. "What building is that?"

"Office building of some sort," Tosh said. "I can get you more information on it if you want."

"Please, that would be helpful," Draciana said. "Thank you."

"No problem, glad I could help. I'll bring things in in a second."

Jack leaned out the door to his office. "Good?"

"Yes," Draciana replied. "Sev, how is your potion coming?"

"If you have found me a place the bird landed, this will be able to track it back to the roost," Severus replied as he moved the cauldron off the fire he'd started to work on. "I wonder who has such a bird, Dracie. Are their many wizarding families in this area?"

"There's a steady pulse of magic in the air, yes, but I can't work out how many there are," Draciana replied. "More than ten certainly, but I don't think many over about fifty."

"Families or wizards?" Ianto asked.

"Families," Draciana replied. "I shouldn't be surprised to find out they have their own section of town here. I should contact Dumbledore and ask him if there is a community in Cardiff. It might make things a little easier."

Severus snorted. "Or harder, should he choose to pop down and introduce us to everyone," he said. 

"What if there's a trick to getting into the area, such as guard Diagon Alley?" Draciana asked. "I would prefer not to blast our way into an area of town when we're attempting to find answers to a problem."

"As you will," Severus said.

"Jack, I'll be right back," Draciana said. "Can you be ready to go within half an hour or so?"

"Not a problem," Jack said. "I was going to deal with Gwen before we head out, but I'll leave it until we know more about what's going on down here. It's still possible she's a link of some sort to everything and we just don't know it yet."

"All right, I'll return momentarily."

Ianto looked over at Jack. "How do they do that?" he asked. "It looks remarkable."

"It's magic," Jack replied. "There's still a lot you can learn, Ianto. I'm glad I can share this with you."

"I am too, and I'm equally glad your friends aren't going to make me forget," Ianto said.

Severus sighed. "When dealing with the Cattons, it's often easier to let them make the decisions," he said. "Though my offer of help remains for the noisy one on your team, Jack."

"Thanks, I might take you up on that," Jack said with a soft sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, everyone, for you patience in waiting for updates on my stories. I've been finishing up a novel that will be available on amazon soon. If you've read my Dragon Chronicles, you saw that I have a dragon novel as well. The first one is available on amazon, and the one I just finished writing (and am editing) is the sequel to it.
> 
>  
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Lexxie-Scott/e/B00BHME9QQ
> 
> That's the link to my author page. All books are available in both paperback and e-book format.


	9. Chapter 9

The boys joined Draciana up in the Plas. She had just finished her conversation with Dumbledore and looked about as frustrated as Jack had ever seen her look. Severus just sighed. “What did the old meddler say this time?” he asked.

“That there is small wizard community here in Cardiff, one that isn’t known to the surrounding community, which isn’t really a surprise, but there’s no way for us to make contact with them,” Draciana replied. “They don’t welcome outsiders, and won’t send their children to Hogwarts.”

“An isolationist community,” Severus said. He scanned the water and smirked. “I know where I would hide should I not wish any to find me, dear one.”

“I think you’re right enough about that, but I don’t want to break into anyone’s home unless we absolutely have no other choice,” Draciana said. “Jack, can you get us to the location the bird landed without anyone seeing us, or do you need some help from us?”

“Help would be wonderful, Dracie,” Jack said. “If it was the middle of the night, then I think I could manage it, but not in the middle of the day like this.”

“All right then.” Draciana took Jack’s arm, Severus took Ianto’s, and the four vanished from the Plas. They reappeared on top of the building where the bird landed, well back from the edge in case the humans had a bad reaction.

Ianto shook his head and rubbed both his ears. “That’s almost as bad as going up on a plane,” he said. “Still, gets you places quick, I can see that much. Magic again?”

“Yep,” Jack said. “Not my favorite way to travel, but there you go. While Severus is working with his potion, Dracie, what else do we need to do to try and find out exactly how the momma came to be here?”

“It’s possible she was trying to reach me up at Hogwarts, but had to land to have her litter,” Draciana said. “She’s not a Catton I know, but that doesn’t mean anything. Everyone in and around the clans knows of my work with the Cattons. Should one need to talk with me, I believe they would come in search of me whether it’s custom or not.”

“If she was trying to reach you, what would the reasons be?”

Draciana shrugged. “It could be anything from just wanting to come and be a part of my group to a warning,” she said. “Given that the mother was killed I’m rather inclined to believe it’s the latter, but I have no proof of that.”

“Could a Catton make the trip from Europe to you at Hogwarts safely?” Jack asked.

“Yes, quite easily, actually,” Draciana replied. “Remember that the Cattons have a magic of their own, which would allow them to travel long distances without problem. There are no Cattons in the wild on our Island, so this one had to have come from somewhere.”

“Can the babies tell us anything?” Ianto asked. “I mean, with their coloring. Could that tell you who their father is?”

“Unfortunately not, but keep thinking about things, Ianto,” Draciana said. “Cattons are born in all shades of the rainbow and then some, and the parents don’t have an influence on that. My male, Diamon, is pure white. Some think that means he carries the gene for every possible color in him, but he doesn’t. He just carries white, though there’s never been another white Catton born at Hogwarts.”

Severus glanced over. “The mother was powerful though,” he said. “With that rich purple coat, she would be far more powerful than any number of Cattons I can think of off the top of my head.”

“That’s true,” Draciana agreed. “Depth of color does tell us power level. That could well be another reason she was the one making the trip, even if she was carrying a litter. I just don’t understand why a nesting mother would make such a trip. Normally you can’t move them from their nest until the babies are weaned.”

“Something had to have happened to drive her to flight,” Jack said. “We just don’t know what it was. Here’s a question, would that hawk have been out flying around any night searching for prey, or was it turned loose when someone caught sight of the Catton in the air?”

“For someone to have seen the Catton would have been a remarkable achievement, given how well they are hidden,” Draciana said. “I think it more likely the hawk was out hunting and took a chance on the prey it saw. The Cattons are a natural prey to the shiek hawks, so the bird will see one even if a human or wizard does not.”

“Ours nests close by,” Severus said. “No more than a mile from here, as the bird flies, anyway. Are you ready, dear one?”

Draciana nodded. “Jack, you and Ianto go back to your Hub and await us there,” she said. “I know you wish to help us find answers, but right now, this is more dangerous than anything you could imagine. Go watch the little ones until we are back.”

Ianto glanced over at Jack as the Guardians vanished. “How are we going to explain our presence on the roof then?” he asked.

“I’m sure I’ll be able to come up with something,” Jack said.  
*~* 

“So, the question still remains what to do about Gwen,” Jack said, once he and Ianto were back in his office with their little Cattlings. “Especially given her appearance this morning trying to jimmy her way into the supply.”

“I don’t wonder if it wouldn’t be easier to just feed the retcon to her and send her off,” Ianto said with a small sigh. “Could we give her a dose high enough that she would forget everything for the past year?”

“Not without doing a lot of damage to her, no,” Jack said. “I’d rather not hurt her if I can avoid it, but at the same time, I’m tired, Ianto. I thought she would be a good fit with the team, but she’s always the odd one out. The one that never shuts up. The one that causes so many of the problems.”

Ianto nodded. “More so of late, too,” he said. “I would be fully behind making her forget, Sir. Even if it does leave us a person down on the team, I think we would all work better for not having her here.”

“I wonder if we could convince Rhys that they need to move,” Jack said. “Get them out of Cardiff so we don’t have to worry about something triggering her memory again. We know that she’s able to throw small does of the retcon.”

“If you would give me some time, I’m sure I can come up with something,” Ianto said. “Is that what you want to do, Jack?”

Jack nodded with a sigh. “Yeah, Ianto, it is,” he said. “Start setting it up so Rhys will want to leave the city and take Gwen along with him. Then we’ll dose her and see if we can find someone else that will fit in with the team.”

“Yes, Sir.”


	10. Chapter 10

It was late when Draciana and Severus returned to the Hub. “It looks as though you perform a magic of your own, Ianto Jones,” Draciana said, looking over his shoulder.

“I do my best,” Ianto replied with a small smile. “One member of our team, the one you met this morning, she’s causing us so many problems that Jack and I are putting things into motion to get her off the team.”

“What do you plan?” Draciana sat down next to him and reached down to pick up his Catling. 

“We’re going to set it up to get her fiancée a promotion to another city and then give her a drug that will erase her memory of us forever,” Jack said, coming out of his office. “The only problem is that she’s shown that she can throw this drug, so I’m not sure how I can be certain that she will keep forgetting.”

Severus looked over from setting up for another potion. “We would be happy to aid you in that, Jack,” he said. He smirked, “especially if I can be allowed to terrorize her a little before hand. I find that fear helps the memory stay gone.”

“Behave, Sev,” Draciana said. “We would be happy to erase her memory of you, Jack. I think that magic would hold much better than any chemical you would use.”

“I didn’t know you could do that,” Jack said, sitting down next to Ianto. “It won’t hurt her any, will it?”

“No. Memory charms can vary in potency, from a simple moment to years of erasure,” Draciana said. “Severus and I can combine our powers to be certain that all traces of you are gone for ever.”

“That would certainly be easier than drugging her and risking her health,” Jack said with a sigh. “Ianto, how long before you have the promotion set up for Rhys?”

“Another day and he’ll be offered it,” Ianto said. He closed out of the program with a sigh. “I had to make it attractive enough that he wouldn’t hesitate to take it. I’m sure the company is going to be happy to have him in the new position once he’s there, and Gwen will be able to find work easily enough with the resume I’ll build for her tomorrow.”

“Do you often play around with lives in such a manner?” Draciana asked.

“Nope. Normally we’re covering up a murder by an alien just long enough that no one asks awkward questions,” Jack replied. “If it wasn’t for the good of our team, I wouldn’t be taking this route, but Gwen has proven to be more of a problem than she is anything else on our team. Hell, you guys saw her trying to break into a locked cupboard and heard her reaction to my reaction. She thinks she’s second in command on the team, and it makes it impossible to do a damn thing with her.”

Ianto nodded. “There is no second on our team. Jack’s the leader and that’s the final word on matters,” he said. “Ever since Gwen showed up, she’s been trying to convince the others that there should be more democracy in decisions than there was before she got here, and that’s going to lead to death here soon enough.”

“It’s a tough burden you carry,” Draciana said, handing the Catling back to Ianto. “I believe I understand why these two chose to remain with you rather than finding a witch or wizard to live with. They sense the problems you have and wish to ease them a little.”

“We’re both honored no matter what the reason,” Jack said with a grin. “Dracie, what’s Severus doing over there?”

“We tracked our hawk to an old ruin, one that no one has lived in for many a year,” Draciana said. “Yet there is no chance of this hawk living in the wild here, so Severus is creating a tracking potion to tell us if any magic was used recently at the ruin and, if there was, where it took the wizard that used it.”

“So we still don’t know who it was that set the bird loose,” Ianto said. “Do you think you’ll be able to find out?”

“Eventually,” Severus said.

Draciana sighed. “My feeling in the matter is that the owner of the bird is a member of the small community here in Cardiff,” she said. “One that does not fit in well with the others in their community, and he is attempting to find a way to leave for good. Perhaps it is lack of money that keeps him where he is now. Catton stones are worth a great deal of money and, should he know the proper history for his bird, he would know that flying it every night could land him a prize to lift him to a new life.”

“Only we got there first,” Ianto said. “Were I him, I would be quite upset at the way affairs are going at the moment.”

“And those that are upset have ways of making mistakes,” Severus said. “Such as not taking care to erase all traces of magic used in any location. Draciana and I are not well-known within the wizarding community, so it is possible that our prey does not know that two Guardians are now upon his trail.”

Draciana looked over with a fond smile. “The only thing you’re well-known as is a sarcastic git, Sev,” she said. “But he is right. Should this wizard, or witch, have grown careless then we do have a chance to catch them before they loose their bird again. Next time the target might be another magical kin, or could even be a human.”

“What are you going to do with him once you have him caught?” Ianto asked.

“We shall take him to the home caves to speak with our Council,” Draciana said. “The owning of this bird is not prohibited, yet, but those that do own one are closely monitored to ensure the bird is not used for harm. To find one loose here, it worries me.”

Severus looked up through a cloud of green smoke. “Me as well, dearest,” he said. “I think that it is about time we make the predator the prey.”

“Whenever you are ready, Severus,” Draciana said with a small smile.


End file.
